


Reading People

by TheLittleLostTimeLord



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, set during brotherhood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-18 23:43:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20200156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLittleLostTimeLord/pseuds/TheLittleLostTimeLord
Summary: Machiavelli considered himself very good at reading people. But he's never quite been able to tell if Leonardo and Ezio are together or not.





	Reading People

* * *

Machiavelli considered himself very good at reading people. It was one of his talents. He hadn’t been born with the ability Ezio called Eagle Vision. He had worked hard and could now use the second sight, but it wasn’t very useful in his daily life. He couldn’t multitask while using it like Ezio could. It took most if not all of his focus to determine people's allegiances by Eagle Vision, so in his daily life Machiavelli relied on his well honed ability to read people.

It was useful when it came to his assassin work and perhaps more so when it came to his other work. Knowing who was having an affair or was secretly in debt could give him a leg up. These days his two careers were intersecting more often, as he was forced to attend more and more social functions hosted by the Borgias. At least it gave him a chance to surveil the Borgias allies and ensure Leonardo was safe. Cesare liked to parade around the genius at least once each event. Sometimes it was with a sort of twisted pride, but more often Cesare sought to embarrass Leonardo. It was an open secret that Leonardo had once been charged with sodomy and Cesare seemed to enjoy reminding people of that fact.

He felt sick deep in his gut as he watched Cesare yank Leonardo to his side. Leonardo yelped slightly a he stumbled almost into Cesare’s lap, which caused those nearby to chuckle. Cesare hissed something into Leonardo’s ear. Leonardo nodded frantically and stepped away the very moment Cesare released his arm.

Leonardo rarely smiled anymore, not like he had in Venice and Monteriggioni.

_ Not like he had when he was with Ezio _, Machiavelli’s mind supplied. It was a hotly debated topic in the upper ranks of assassins, whether Ezio and Leonardo had ever acted on their feelings for one another. They were good at hiding it, but not good enough to keep it from assassins. Machiavelli’s own opinions shifted from day to day. One part of him, the romantic in him, believed they had, but the other part, the realist, said that Ezio wouldn’t have ever allowed himself to cross that line.

Ezio was too good of a man for his own good most of the time. If he’d ever realized how he felt about Leonardo (which Machiavelli couldn’t help but wonder if he had) he may not have said anything, wanting to spare Leonardo the pain of losing him one day. Being an assassin meant that usually your lover would bury you long before they left the world. It was not a job for those who wanted to live long into old age.

The night drew on and slowly the party died down. Machiavelli made his farewells and quietly made his exit. He stopped for a moment, to adjust his shoe, waiting as the group he’d left with continued down the hill. Then he slipped into the shadows. He quickly scaled his way to the rooftops and silently raced to the guarded house where Cesare kept Leonardo. He slipped inside through the window of the upper floor. He heard Leonardo behind the divider, bathing.

“Leonardo.” Machiavelli whispered, standing close to the screen.

There was a silent moment as Leonardo figured out who was on the other side.

“Machiavelli, how is the Brotherhood?” Leonardo always asked after the assassins, but Machiavelli knew he was really asking after one specific assassin.

“Things are alright. They will be better once we figure out a way to free you. You are sorely missed.” 

Leonardo rose from his bath and dried himself off. Once he was dressed he joined Machiavelli on the other side of the divider.

“Has he…?” Leonardo asked hopefully.

“Yes.” Machiavelli couldn't help but smile slightly as he pulled the folded letter from his pocket. 

Leonardo beamed as he took the letter, gently touching the wax seal, bearing the Auditore crest. “Thank you.”

Machiavelli stood by quietly as Leonardo read and wrote his reply.

“Is he taking care of himself, Machiavelli? I hear of his missions from Cesare sometimes. I worry. He always says he is, but...I know him.”

Machiavelli paused for a moment before answering. “Not as well as you used to take care of him. He takes better care of himself after he receives a letter from you, though.” It had been a gamble to see how Leonardo would react.

Leonardo smirked slightly. “Ah. Well, then I must endeavor to write him more often.”

“Please do.” Machiavelli was impressed with how Leonardo had artfully avoided giving away too much. It was that skill that kept him alive while under Cesare’s nose. Still he was slightly irritated that he’d be unsuccessful in gaining any new insight into the relationship between the pair.

As though he could read Machiavelli’s thought’s Leonardo smiled. “You know, Niccolò, sometimes the best way to gain information is simply to ask.”

It was an invitation. Machiavelli took it. “Does he love you?”

Leonardo nodded. “Yes. He does.And I love him.” 

“Good, he deserves happiness.”

**Author's Note:**

> [My Tumblr](http://www.wolfstarforever.tumblr.com)   
[My Assassin's Creed Tumblr](http://safetyandpeacenovice.tumblr.com/)


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